Passive Self-Ligation Bracket Assembly

A passive self-ligation bracket system for correcting malocclusions and tooth alignment, comprising:

• a first passive self-ligation bracket and a second passive self-ligation bracket, each of the first passive self-ligation bracket and the second passive self-ligation bracket having, a lingual end portion carrying a bracket base pad configured for adherence to a tooth, and a mid-body portion between the facial end portion and the lingual end portion,
• a movable door engaged with the bracket body at the facial end portion,
• means for exerting a predetermined torque on a tooth from the lingual end portion and from the mid-body portion, and the means for exerting the predetermined torque is defined in the mid-body portion, and has a center;
• and
• an archwire slidably engaged within the means of the first passive self-ligation bracket and slidably engaged within the means of the second passive self-ligation bracket for exerting the predetermined torque.

A passive self-ligation orthodontic bracket for releasable attachment to a facial surface of a tooth, and for slidable engagement with an archwire to effect treatment of malocclusions and tooth alignment and for expressing a predetermined torque to a tooth without pre-bending of the archwire, the passive self-ligation orthodontic bracket comprising:

• a bracket body having,
• a facial end portion, a lingual end portion, a mid-body portion between the facial end portion and the lingual end portion,
• a superior facing surface and an inferior facing surface, and the inferior facing surface is spaced apart from and parallel to the superior facing surface, and
• the bracket body defines an archwire slot that has an upper wall proximate the superior facing surface, and a lower wall proximate the inferior facing surface and the lower wall is parallel to and spaced apart from the upper wall, by a predetermined distance, and
• the archwire slot further has a base wall that communicates between the upper wall and the lower wall opposite the facial end portion of the bracket body, and the base wall is perpendicular to the both the superior facing surface and perpendicular to the inferior facing surface of the bracket body, and the upper wall and lower wall are not parallel to the superior and inferior facing surfaces, and
• the archwire slot defines an archwire slot center, and defines a gateway that communicates with the facial end portion of the bracket body, and the archwire slot is sized to receive the archwire therein;
• a bracket base pad structurally carried at the lingual end portion of the bracket body, the bracket base pad configured for releasable attachment to the facial surface of the tooth;
• and
• a facial surface of the facial end portion of the bracket body is configured to slidably carry a movable door, and
• wherein the movable door has a facial facing surface and a lingual facing surface, and two opposing lateral edges, and the movable door is further slidably movable between an open position relative to the gateway of the archwire slot, and a closed position relative to the gateway of the archwire slot, and wherein, when the moveable door is in the closed position, the lingual facing surface of the moveable door and the archwire slot define an archwire tube that is defined by plural spaced apart corners which are not right angles, and wherein the archwire tube releasably encloses and slidably cooperates with the archwire to apply the predetermined torque to the bracket body at the slot center to effect first, second, and third order movements to the tooth, and wherein the archwire is freely axially movable within the archwire tube and relative to the bracket body, and wherein the lingual facing surface of the moveable door is parallel to the bracket slot base wall;
• and
• wherein the upper and lower walls of the archwire tube have a predetermined angular orientation/slope relative to the superior and inferior facing surfaces of the bracket body to direct the predetermined torque to the tooth and effect a resulting movement of the tooth;
• and
• wherein the archwire that is carried within the archwire tube is not pre-bent to impart the predetermined torque;
• and
• the archwire contacts interior walls of the archwire tube at only a single point contacts.